The win was a phenomenal bounce-back from a disastrous start on the opening day of the rowing at Rio 2016, when she almost sunk due to extreme crosswinds.

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“I was pretty close to sinking out there, that would normally be an indication that the course is not rowable,” she said. “It is a little bit unprecedented to race a race in cross whitecap conditions. We’ve definitely been preparing for rough conditions, but normally this would be deemed unrowable.”

Brennan was honoured to be chosen as Australia’s closing ceremony flag bearer.

In 2015-2016, Brennan also took first place in the World Rowing Cup II and III and the World Rowing Championships. Talk about a champ.

Brennan could not attend the ISWIS Awards ceremony at Carriageworks in Sydney because she was on her post-Rio honeymoon in Africa with husband Scott Brennan, fellow Olympic gold medallist rower.

The pair was in Zambia last week as ambassadors for a clean water project sponsored by World Rowing. They also taught local children how to row.